Nearly 60 years of custom with tasty Teochew-style mutton soup at Beauty World Hong Wen Mutton Soup

Bukit Timah has been a well-liked space for foodies because the early 2000s. As a former Rafflesian, Beauty World Centre was one among my widespread hangout spots. For so long as I can bear in mind, Hong Wen Mutton Soup has been situated within the ethereal meals courtroom on the high of Beauty World Centre.

The complete mall is nostalgic, in contrast to most fashionable procuring centres. Beauty World Centre is full of enrichment facilities for the various colleges and college students within the Bukit Timah property, in addition to conventional Chinese therapeutic massage parlours and old-school hair salons. With a number of quick meals and bubble tea retailers sprinkled on the entrance of the constructing, you’d be stunned to discover a complete meals courtroom with a ramification of famend stalls out there on the highest flooring.

Take a step into the open-aired meals space and also you’ll see Hong Wen Mutton Soup in your left.

About 50 years in the past, the unique Hong Wen opened his retailer on the now defunct Seventh Mile Market. Now taken over by 2nd technology house owners, the stall is run by the 2 sons of the unique retailer proprietor, with one other outlet maintained by one of many siblings.

There’s a persistent queue of three to 4 folks each time I flip to take a look at the stall, so I do know they’ve attracted a crowd of loyal clients. Admittedly, I’m not being the most important fan of mutton due to it’s heavy tasting gaminess. As a consequence, I do know that the important thing consider figuring out a very good mutton soup stall is the chef’s capacity to remove the gamey mutton style.

The menu, which options 4 distinct gadgets, is displayed on the entrance of the stall. From its abdomen to its tendons, every merchandise consists of totally different components of the sheep. There’s even a combination of components out there!

I took a have a look at the costs and so they appeared slightly steep. After a fast Google, I discovered that it’s due to the totally different strategic situations it takes to yield sheep as in comparison with different animals.

Enough with my ramble, I used to be intrigued by the aroma of herbs wafting by way of the air. Have I even talked about the massive chunk of meat readily steamed by the entrance of the shop?

The steel container beneath is full of immensely wealthy broth, served to clients piping scorching upon order. The enormous chunk of mutton sits on high of a steel strainer that sifts out the juices for a stronger style of mutton within the stew. It is not any surprise why my broth tasted so wealthy.

What I attempted at Hong Wen Mutton Soup

I ordered the Mixed Mutton Soup. For S$10, it contained a combination of sheep tendons, abdomen and tender meat. I opted for a bowl of rice as properly for an extra S$0.50 in order that I may have the complete expertise like what many loyal clients had. The follower in me seen a very aged couple savouring their very own bowls of mutton soup. I assume the endearing endorsement of those clients urged me to attempt a bowl of my very own. It must be good, proper?

First impressions? Promising. Look on the quantity of components they embody in a bowl and also you’ll perceive why. You don’t get bits of small items on this bowl; for S$10, you get a instantly proportionate serving!

Now for the last word style take a look at of the chef’s expertise and household recipe. I need to say that Hong Wen Mutton Soup did an excellent job in masking the gamey style. Struck with a powerful hit of candy aroma, I used to be instantly comforted by its style.

Am I actually stunned by the sweetness although? The pure sweetness that’s identifiable in each sip comes from beneficiant inclusion of goji berries.

The mutton was cooked to perfection with no uncomfortably overpowering style. When accompanied by the sturdy soup flavour, there’s just one phrase to explain it: tremendous shiok!

With only a pinch of my chopsticks, you possibly can see the meat tenderly falling aside. Likewise, it melted in my mouth.

I’m actually not a fan of intestines however the abdomen actually stunned me. Served in skinny slices, there was no obvious gamey style that got here with it. It had a very good quantity of flavour that wasn’t smelly like another intestines.

Dip any piece of meat into their chilli and it’ll have a way more palatable style. Their chilli is sweeter, just like Thai chilli. Try dipping a bit of meat within the chilli and have a sip of soup— every part simply goes extraordinarily properly collectively.

If you discover the massive chunks of boney constructions within the bowl, these are the tendons. Its gelatinous nature pairs fairly properly with rice. Imagine my shock after I bit into the bone— it was that tender!

If I’ve to commend one thing, it could be the dollops of garlic within the soup. The broth is full of immense flavour in all probability from the beneficiant addition of herbs and condiments.

Final ideas

Personally, I get pleasure from sweeter-tasting soups as a result of that was what appealed to my liking after I was youthful, however this has obtained to be top-of-the-line Chinese-style mutton soups I’ve ever had. The capacity to create a sweet-tasting bowl of natural goodness takes expertise and years of coaching, and Hong Wen Mutton Soup goes to point out that mutton soup doesn’t essentially need to attraction to the older crowd.

Even as an individual who doesn’t actually fancy mutton soup, I loved my meal over at Hong Wen Mutton Soup, so I’ll wager that you simply’ll get pleasure from it too.

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